The first Michigan State player picked in the 2016 NBA draft was a bit of a surprise.

Denzel Valentine went No. 14 overall to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, becoming the program's first lottery pick since 2001, when Jason Richardson went No. 5 overall.

From his spot in the green room at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Valentine stood up and yelled when he was picked.

"I was getting nervous there, pick after pick," Valentine told ESPN. "I'm just so glad I'm going to the Bulls."

Valentine's pick comes before teammate Deyonta Davis, who was widely projected to be the first Michigan State player picked.

Valentine spent four years in East Lansing building himself from a mid-level recruit into one of the best players in the country. As a senior, Valentine won multiple national player of the year awards, after a season in which he averaged 19.2 points, 7.7 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game.

He was questioned through the predraft process about the health of his knee, and the fact that he was a college senior he was near his peak was also seen as a concern.